A COUPLE OF PHIL MAY STORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 239, 7 October 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

A COUPLE OF PHIL MAY STORIES.

Said that Phil May once made a picture of a cricket match, one feature in which so amused W. G. Grace that he wrote the artist asking, "Why, oh why docs the mid-on wear wicket-keeper's gloves?" No answer was forthcoming for some time. At length, oue morning in mid-winter, W.G. was aroused at about one o'clock by the violent ringing of his front door bell. Creeping downstairs, shivering in his nighty, the cricketer discovered a telegraph boy with a message. Forbodiugs of family disaster and wild presentiments of sudden death dashed through his mind as his fingers, trembling with cold excitement, he tore open the envelope and read: "To keep his hands warm. Yours truly, Phil May." Another story concerns a firm of American fruit packers, who. ns an

advertising dodge, invited competitive designs from artists, offering as a prbre half-a-dozen cases of their fruit. Needless to say. Phil May was not amongst the competitors. This fact so surprised and distressed the gentle advertisers that they wrote the artist inviting him to scud along a design and stating the conditions of the competition, amongst which was the intimation that in no case could a design be returned. May replied on the back of their note to this effect: "Messrs. Blank and Co. Dear Sirs, —I am getting up a little competition of my own. it is for dried fruit packers. Competitors are requested to send each half-a-dozen cases of fruit. The winning consignment will receive a prize of five shillings. In no instance can the cases be returned.—Yours, PMI. May."